China: We're not afraid of trouble in the South China Sea

Chinese
dredging vessels are purportedly seen in the waters around
Mischief Reef in the disputed Spratly Islands in the South China
Sea in this still image from video taken by a P-8A Poseidon
surveillance aircraft provided by the United States Navy May 21,
2015.REUTERS/U.S. Navy/Handout via
Reuters

China rebuffed U.S. pressure to curb its activity in the
South China Sea on Sunday, restating its sovereignty over
most of the disputed territory and saying it "has no fear of
trouble".

On the last day of Asia's biggest security summit, Admiral Sun
Jianguo said China will not be bullied, including over a pending
international court ruling over its claims in the vital trade
route.

"We do not make trouble, but we have no fear of trouble," Sun
told the Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore, where more than 600
security, military and government delegates had gathered over
three days.

"China will not bear the consequences, nor will it allow any
infringement on its sovereignty and security interest, or stay
indifferent to some countries creating chaos in the South China
Sea."

The waterway has become a flashpoint between the United States,
which increased its focus on the Asia-Pacific under President
Barack Obama's "pivot", and China, which is projecting ever
greater economic, political and military power in the region.

The two have traded accusations of militarizing the waterway as
Beijing undertakes large-scale land reclamation and construction
on disputed features while Washington has increased its patrols
and exercises.

Chinese Defense Ministry

On Saturday, top U.S. officials including Defense Secretary Ash
Carter warned Chinaof the risk of isolating itself
internationally and pledged to remain the main guarantor of Asian
security for decades.

Despite repeated notes of concern from countries such as Japan,
India, Vietnam and South Korea, Sun rejected the prospect of
isolation, saying that many of the Asian countries at the
gathering were "warmer" and "friendlier" to China than a year
ago.China had 17 bilateral meetings this year, compared with 13
in 2015.

"We were not isolated in the past, we are not isolated now and we
will not be isolated in the future," Sun said.

"Actually I am worried that some people and countries are still
looking at China with the Cold War mentality and prejudice. They
may build a wall in their minds and end up isolating themselves."

During a visit to Mongolia on Sunday, U.S. Secretary of State
John Kerry urged Beijing not to establish an air defense
identification zone over the South China Sea, as it did over the
East China Sea in 2013.

U.S.
President Barack Obama (L) and Chinese President Xi Jinping have
a drink after a toast at a lunch banquet in the Great Hall of the
People in Beijing November 12, 2014. Obama is on a state visit
after attending the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation
summit.REUTERS/Greg
Baker/Pool

Kerry, who will visit China next, said an ADIZ would be "a
provocative and destabilizing act", which would question
Beijing's commitment to diplomatically manage the dispute.

The South China Sea is expected to feature prominently at annual
high-level China-U.S. talks starting in Beijing on Monday, also
attended by U.S. Treasury Secretary Jack Lew.

U.S. concerns about Chinese trade policy and the difficulty
foreign businesses say they face operating in China will add to
what will likely be difficult discussions.

Court decision

On the upcoming decision by the international tribunal in The
Hague in the case brought by the Philippines to contest China's
claims in the territory, Sun reiterated Beijing does not
recognize the court's authority.

Sun said China wanted to solve the dispute with the Philippines
bilaterally and said the door was open for dialogue with incoming
President Rodrigo Duterte.

Duterte said on Thursday he would not surrender the country's
rights over the disputed Scarborough Shoal in the South China
Sea, which China seized in 2012.

China claims almost the entire sea. Brunei, Malaysia, the
Philippines, Taiwan and Vietnam also have claims.

"China has the patience and wisdom to settle any disputes through
dialogue. We also believe the related countries have the wisdom
and patience to make peace," Sun said. "I've always believed that
shaking hands is better than clenching fists."

Vietnam's deputy Defence Minister Nguyen Chi Vinh warned the
rising tensions could lead to an arms race with "disastrous and
unpredictable consequences" if not addressed. The United States
lifted Vietnam's arms embargo last month.

Most countries at the summit stressed the importance of freedom
of navigation and overflight in the waters, through which
trillions of dollars in trade is shipped every year.

Sun denied such concerns should be focused on China.

"If there is any restriction ...it will definitely not be China's
fault. If you don't believe it, just wait and see."

(Additional reporting by Paige Lim and Masayuki Kitano in
Singapore, Ben Blanchard in Beijing and Yeganeh Torbati in
Ulaanbaatar; Editing by Lincoln Feast)

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